Data privacy
Definition & Protection Strategies
With billions of records exposed in data breaches every year, individuals must take proactive steps to protect their personal information. This article explores key data protection strategies to help you stay ahead of potential threats.
Table of Contents
What is data privacy?
Data privacy refers to the ability for online users to control their personal information, including to what extent it gets shared with third parties. This personal information is tracked and stored by websites and online applications to carry out services, such as personalizing user experiences.
Because this information could be exploited by cybercriminals and other third parties, laws such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) govern data privacy. They regulate the kinds of personal information third parties can collect, ensure proper safeguards are implemented to protect personal information, and hold third parties accountable to rules and standards.
How to ensure data privacy
More than 7.9 billion records were exposed in 2019. Unless you are extremely lucky or extremely offline, then your own data is likely among them. Fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself from phishing attempts both before and after a data leak:
- Use two-factor authentication with an OTP (one-time password) app. Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator are two excellent options.
- Update your security parameters at least twice per year in your email and online accounts.
- Monitor your personal data on a regular basis. Third-party websites like haveibeenpwned.com and breachalarm.com will search for compromised information based on your email address. You can also sign up for alerts.
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